President Donald Trump's proposed plan to reduce drug costs by importing some drugs from Canada is facing backlash from both U.S. drugmakers and Canada, according to The Hill.
The president tweeted Nov. 22 that HHS Secretary Alex Azar would soon release a plan to allow states to import prescription drugs from other countries. According to the FDA's regulatory agenda, the proposal will be released in January, The Hill reports.
The plan would allow state governments to seek permission from HHS to import cheaper versions of prescription drugs from Canadian drugmakers meeting specific requirements. Florida, Colorado, Vermont and Maine are all in the process of drafting legislation to allow drug importation.
Canadian officials argue their country is too small to keep up with the U.S. drug demand and is already struggling to meet demand in its own country.
"It is important to recognize that Canada’s market for pharmaceuticals is too small to have any real impact on U.S. drug prices," Kristen Hillman, Canada’s acting ambassador to the U.S. told The Hill.
A spokesperson for Health Canada, which runs the country’s healthcare system, told The Hill it is engaging with U.S. officials to "better understand" the implications of drug importation.
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the industry's top lobbying group, funds the public health group Partnership for Safe Medicines, which lobbies against drug importation. The group commissioned a study that showed if 20 percent of U.S. prescriptions in 2015 came from Canada, Canada's drug supply would be depleted in 183 days, according to The Hill.
Those who support drug importation argue that only a few very expensive drugs would be allowed to be imported.
"We think it’s a market-based strategy. Canada would have a larger market for drugs and would be able to negotiate with manufacturers for larger market share," Trish Riley, executive director of the Washington, D.C-based National Academy of State Health Policy, a group of state health policymakers helping states develop drug importation plans, told The Hill.
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